# Breaking Bad 5.16 "Felina" 9/29/13 SERIES FINALE **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 24, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591 "2013-09-24T17:31:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/41 "2013-09-25T20:45:34Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > I- Walt returns to NM to settle the score with Uncle Jack, and get his fortune back with the intent of giving it to his family. How he plans to pull this off, I haven’t a clue but can’t wait to find out. Perhaps they all die, Walt included. But even if Walt can recover the $70 million, how can he give it to his family? It’s still a vast amount of illegal cash, so they’d be breaking the law if they accepted it. And given the increased scrutiny, I don’t see any way they _can_ receive it. Plus, of course, Flynn already rejected the $100,000 Walt wanted to send him. He’s certainly not going to accept the $70 million. Or perhaps it’s a fevered dream of Walt’s that he can somehow give the money to his family, and in doing so, justify everything. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/42 "2013-09-25T20:48:07Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > But even if Walt can recover the $70 million, how can he give it to his family? It’s still a vast amount of illegal cash, so they’d be breaking the law if they accepted it. And given the increased scrutiny, I don’t see any way they _can_ receive it. Plus, of course, Flynn already rejected the $100,000 Walt wanted to send him. He’s certainly not going to accept the $70 million. I don’t know, now you’re talking _real_ money. Jr might start thinking, “$70 million, huh? Well… Hank was always kind of a pain in the ass anyway…” ---
**Author:** ![Meltdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Meltdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meltdown)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/43 "2013-09-25T20:50:45Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > I dunno. Chances are that Saul will have a very boring life in Nebraska. There are a lot more hijinks to get up to as a criminal lawyer than there are managing a Cinnabon, especially since he’ll be wanting to keep his head down. Maybe it will be a sitcom! Saul as a fish-out-of-water retail manager in the Midwest. To better sell his cover, he’ll marry a spunky divorcee with three adorable kids of various ages who will spout one liners and catch phrases. ---
**Author:** ![Meltdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Meltdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meltdown)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/44 "2013-09-25T20:53:29Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Noting again that it’s never been suggested there was a love triangle. That’d be kind of a boring explanation. Yeah, my bad. I couldn’t remember the details, but I knew there were two men and a woman involved, so my brain must have placed it in the love triangle category. That’s what I get for watching too much TV. I agree that Breaking Bad is better than that. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/45 "2013-09-25T21:22:35Z")
> [@Meltdown](#): > > Maybe it will be a sitcom! Saul as a fish-out-of-water retail manager in the Midwest. To better sell his cover, he’ll marry a spunky divorcee with three adorable kids of various ages who will spout one liners and catch phrases. Any spinoff involving Saul that takes place AFTER the events of Breaking Bad are really just a continuation of the story of Walter White. A prequel allows a lot more flexibility in the types of stories you get to tell. Plus, gives you a chance of seeing meek pre-cancer Walt or Jesse (or Gale!) shopping in the background of a mall scene or something. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/46 "2013-09-25T21:26:26Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Any spinoff involving Saul that takes place AFTER the events of Breaking Bad are really just a continuation of the story of Walter White. A prequel allows a lot more flexibility in the types of stories you get to tell. Plus, gives you a chance of seeing meek pre-cancer Walt or Jesse (or Gale!) shopping in the background of a mall scene or something. Plus, “Better Call Saul” is a better title than “Let’s Talk Frosting”. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/47 "2013-09-25T21:29:40Z")
Walt is not going to get any money to his family. There is no way. Just like there was no way Hank was going to escape the Nazis. That excuse for his actions is gone. When Walt realizes that he can’t get his barrel of money to his family he finally decides to turn himself in. Except that he doesn’t. Because providing for his family is not the real reason why Walt broke bad. What really drives Walt manages to show up just before the police do. His ego, his pride, his sense of entitlement are all ignited by the interview with Gray Matter. The breaking bad theme music in that final scene sounds like the start of a chemical reaction. Walt goes from a man who wants to end his family’s suffering, to a man driven by rage. Like Gretchen says in the interview, Walt White is gone. Walt transforms into pure Heisenberg when he’s reminded about Gray Matter. What’s left is the unfiltered rage that was until this point hidden under Walt’s pretensions. Walt’s plan is to murder some motherfuckers. End of story. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/48 "2013-09-25T21:38:05Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > Plus, “Better Call Saul” is a better title than “Let’s Talk Frosting”. But what about _Baking Bad_? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/49 "2013-09-25T21:42:35Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > The breaking bad theme music in that final scene sounds like the start of a chemical reaction. Walt goes from a man who wants to end his family’s suffering, to a man driven by rage. Like Gretchen says in the interview, Walt White is gone. Walt transforms into pure Heisenberg when he’s reminded about Gray Matter. I don’t think it’s the start of a chemical reaction, but the conclusion of one that has played itself out. The composer, Dave Porter, said that he put the theme in that scene because in his interpretation, it’s the point when Walter White and Heisenberg have merged into one person. I tend to agree with that. As I said in one of the other threads, I think “Lambert” is the synthesis of the thesis/antithesis pair of Walt/Heisenberg. Which I think is a good ending to Walt’s arc. Plus, there’s something about the body language of “Lambert” in the flash forwards. This is clearly a man on a mission, but he doesn’t have that nervous Heisenberg energy about him. He seems calm, resigned to his fate somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/50 "2013-09-25T21:55:06Z")
Crazy question: have we ever met/seen Louis, the giver of rides? I’ll take the million-to-one odds that he plays a key role in the finale. Also, best end scene? A freeze-frame of Walt waterskiing over a shark tank. Jesse leans into frame and says “Bitches.” ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/51 "2013-09-25T22:01:45Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Crazy question: have we ever met/seen Louis, the giver of rides? I’ll take the million-to-one odds that he plays a key role in the finale. [Louis, Junior’s friend?](http://breakingbad.wikia.com/wiki/Louis) Yes, we’ve seen him briefly on a few occasions. Incidentally, he is also (at least as far as I know) the only character on the show who has been played by two different actors. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/52 "2013-09-25T22:07:03Z")
Technically, Holly is played by two different actors. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/53 "2013-09-25T22:11:40Z")
> [@BlackKnight](#): > > Technically, Holly is played by two different actors. Fair point. Actually, I think she’s been portrayed by a whole bunch of different babies throughout the series. ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/54 "2013-09-25T22:36:39Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Any spinoff involving Saul that takes place AFTER the events of Breaking Bad are really just a continuation of the story of Walter White. A prequel allows a lot more flexibility in the types of stories you get to tell. Plus, gives you a chance of seeing meek pre-cancer Walt or Jesse (or Gale!) shopping in the background of a mall scene or something. In this case it would be more like Frazier - people thought that would be a continuation of Cheers but by moving him to the opposite coast and a new career with different life circumstances the writers were able to break him from that mold and create something new, albeit with a familiar character. This is exactly why I prefer the sequel. Saul is in a new city and has to break from his past so writers have a lot of chances to be creative and take him in a new direction while staying true to the role. There’s no way he’d just remain as a mid level manager at cinnabon. What does an ex “criminal” lawyer do when on the lam? A prequel on the other hand ties right into Breaking Bad, limits growth (there can’t be any) and is more of the same. Granted, I love Breaking Bad, but I’d prefer to see a new direction from a spinoff. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/55 "2013-09-25T23:23:51Z")
I think the spinoff is going to be pretty light. I don’t know if they’ve said it’s to be a comedy but I wouldn’t be surprised. Basically the misadventures of a novice attorney struggling to build a practice and the sketchy clients he gets. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/56 "2013-09-26T00:49:08Z")
In Nebraska he’s not going to be a lawyer and he may not be Saul anymore, so it’d be tough to do that as Better Call Saul. ---
**Author:** ![Breen11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@Breen11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Breen11)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/57 "2013-09-26T01:01:14Z")
Didnt they already say that the spinoff show “Better Call Saul” would be a prequel? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/58 "2013-09-26T01:17:38Z")
Yes. A couple of posters have been saying they hope it won’t be, but I agree that a comedic thing about how Saul became a crooked lawyer and the crazy people and dolts he’s gotten mixed up with would be more fun than watching him try to put his life back together in Omaha. ---
**Author:** ![Krazy-8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Krazy-8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krazy-8)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/59 "2013-09-26T02:37:07Z")
This is the best guess I have seen online so far. Will’s Gus’s past in Chile also be tied in with German roots? > [@Homo\_litoralis](#): > > I predict that Gray Matter will figure prominently in the finale. The dynamic between Walt and the Schwartzes has been too puzzling to ignore. > > We know that Gretchen’s version of events from 20 years ago included Walt’s abrupt “abandonment” of her during a Fourth of July weekend spent with her father and brothers, and Walt’s subsequent cash-out of the fledgling Gray Matter as a result. This parting of ways caused much resentment on both sides, yet 20 years later the Schwartzes were still inviting Walt to Elliott’s birthday party. Elliott was still speaking of Walt in glowing terms, still wanting him to work for Gray Matter again, and still wanting to throw money at his cancer treatment. Why? > > Meanwhile, Walt has been so obsessed with the success of Gray Matter that he checks the stock price every week, deeply entrenching his bitterness as he watched the company’s value top $2 billion. Yet he was still willing to attend Elliott’s party despite being so far removed from that social circle that nobody but the hosts knew who he was. Heck, he and Skyler didn’t even know how to dress for the occasion. (By the way, what’s the deal with the beige dress code for a patio party? Is that really a thing?) > > During the Charlie Rose interview, Elliott deflected the question about Walt’s role in forming Gray Matter, but Gretchen was willing to disavow any contribution beyond the name, directly contradicting comments that were made publicly at the party. Yet privately, Gretchen feels that Gray Matter’s money is in part Walt’s money, so she is willing to blatantly lie on national television. Is she going to get away with that? > > I’m seeing a lot of contradictions and loose ends with this Gray Matter thing, and Vince Gilligan promised that all questions will be answered. > > In the finale, it will be revealed that Walt abandoned Gray Matter on moral grounds, and he will expose the dirty money that has filled its coffers connected to its dealings with the shady wing of Madrigal. > > Thus Walt will destroy three empires in one fabulous chemical-industrial apocalypse! > > Oh, and everybody dies. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591/60 "2013-09-26T02:44:40Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > In Nebraska he’s not going to be a lawyer and he may not be Saul anymore, so it’d be tough to do that as Better Call Saul. Saul will always be Saul, he can’t help himself. I envision him dispensing informal legal advice out the backdoor of his Cinnabon stand to colorful neighborhood characters with wacky results. But no, I don’t think we’ll actually see any of that, as the show will be a prequel. Madrigal. I recall Gray Matter of course, but could someone refresh my memory of what Madrigal is? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-bad-5-16-felina-9-29-13-series-finale/669591.md?page=4)